An Indoor Toddler Snow Idea

Well the whole family has been slammed with tummy flu (viral gastroenteritis) this week; it has been ongoing since Sunday night. The pic above is just our 19-month-old's opinion of the whole experience. I could say more but I think he sums it up pretty well :)

Today we're all still feeling pretty yucky but it is almost 45 degrees outside and we still haven't gotten to play in the snow; rather than wait for it all to melt we went out for just a few minutes since it's Little Biscuit's first "real" snow that he might actually remember...But since we couldn't find child sized snow boots in stock anywhere this late in the game, we couldn't stay out long. The little guy really wanted to play more in it when we were done, so we brought a pan of the cold white stuff inside. We filled it with sandbox toys and set him in the tub with it and let him go at it! He had his own bathub blizzard - a flurry of fun, flake-feeling, cheek-chillin', toddler-style snow-day festivities right there! Bundle up, bath buddies! It's c-c-cold in here!
So Mommy, how do I make a slushie?
More, more, more - I love the snow! It makes me forget feeling so sick!

Silly Mommy Had Some Shoes! (The Rhymes Gym: Parent/Toddler Total Body Workout)

Well, lately, as a mom who wants to get rid of some leftover baby weight, I've wanted to either join a gym with childcare (but I don't want to shell out the cash) or join some kind of stroller fitness group (but Biscuit doesn't really like sitting still for long so that was out too.) So, I suppose because necessity is the mother of invention, here's the little workout (aka "playout!") we came up with and have been doing together. We thought we'd share for other like-minded mommies (daddies, and other friends!) out there :D

(c) by Pudgy Pencils

Here’s how it works. First, learn this adaptation of a familiar children’s rhyme:

Silly Mommy had some shoes, E-I-E-I-O.
And on an airplane she wore those shoes, E-I-E-I-O.
With a "zoom zoom" here and a "zoom zoom" there.
Here a "zoom," there a "zoom."
Everywhere a "zoom zoom!"
Silly Mommy had some shoes, E-I-E-I-O!*

Then, on the quick reference page, check out the A-Z words to plug in to the rhyme for maximum workout fun! Learn the exercise that goes with each letter as well. (The example above is for the letter “A.”)

To get started, you have some options. You can either pick just a few letters to play with your child at random times throughout the day to keep your metabolism up. Or, for a general fitness workout, complete the entire alphabet at once. For the full workout, walk in place throughout the routine—slowly for the warm-up, picking up intensity for the high-impact section in bold and slowing down for the cool-down. Add the exercises indicated on the reference sheet for each letter. You’ll be getting a good workout and having a blast with your toddler all at the same time!
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*The word in red (airplane) is the rhyme object; the word in blue (zoom) is the rhyme action/sound. The object and action/sound change for each exercise. See the quick reference sheet below. And “Daddy,” “Grandma,” your child’s name, etc., can also be substituted for “Mommy.”

Silly Mommy Had Some Shoes!
Quick Reference Sheet (A- Z rhyme objects with actions/sounds + exercises)

A: On an airplane (zoom): walk quickly around the room w/ arms extended like a plane; let toddler copy you.

B: On a bike (pedal): lay back; sit toddler on lap; pedal your legs like an air bike; pedal his legs w/ your hands.

C: At a concert (clap): have toddler face you and hold your shirt; step to the L, tap foot and clap; repeat to R.

D: In the desert (walk): alternate knee lifts with exaggerated effort as if walking in sand; let toddler copy you.

E: On an elevator (up, down): squat up and down facing toddler and holding hands.

F: On a fire truck (wee-oo): walk forward four, then back four, w/ toddler in front helping you “steer.”

G: In the garden (dig): lunge forward alternating knees + hold toddler/tickle his armpits (keep back straight).

H: In Hawaii (hula): wave your arms in the air and slide to the left and right; let toddler copy you.

I: On some ice (slip, slide): sidestep holding your child, alternating two steps to the left, two to the right.

J: In the jungle (swing): bend down; clasp hands under back of toddler’s knees; swing him side to side.

K: In karate (kick): hop on one leg in small circles + kick other leg; switch legs (hold toddler’s hand).

L: Up a ladder (step): lay toddler on floor; pretend to use his tummy as a step as you reach for air “rails”

M: Up a mountain (climb): with hands and feet flat on floor, climb in place, switching feet; toddler copies.

N: And near and far (run): jog in place, then in a big circle holding toddler’s hands.

O: In outer space (blast off): lay on back; lift toddler high, superman-style; use knees/legs to support him.

P: Through a puddle (splish, splash): jump up and down in place holding toddler (or just holding hands)

Q: In a quake (shake): holding toddler, jump L, R, forward, then back.

R: In a raft (row): sit; face toddler; hold hands; lean back + pull him forward; you sit up; lean him back.

S: On a shooting star (swoosh): hold toddler tummy-down on your arms; swoop him around the room.

T: On a train (choo-choo): toddler walks behind you/holds your shirt; pump arms in circular motion at sides.

U: Underwater (gurgle, bubble): stand; lay toddler b/w your feet; stretch to floor; blow bubbles on his tummy.

V: In volleyball (spike): stretch R calf back/up + hold foot w/ R hand; L hand high-fives toddler; switch hands/legs.

W: In a wagon (bump): toddler walks behind you holding onto your hands as you skip gently.

X: At a xylophone (ding): sit facing toddler; feet together; w/ L hand stretch to tap his L toe/hold; then R to R.

Y: While she yo-yoed (whoosh high/whoosh low): alternate stretching low and high; let toddler copy you.

Z: Catching ZZZ’s (cuddle): grab toddler; collapse gently on floor w/ him; give kisses; fall “asleep.”

SAFETY NOTES: Please talk to your doctor before starting any workout routine, even this one that's just for fun. I am not responsible for any injuries to yourself or your child during this activity; I am simply posting it for the fun and enjoyment of others who choose to participate. Your safety is up to you. Here are some other helpful guidelines to keep in mind from a group fitness instructor (many thanks to my awesome sis-in-law, Candy, for these great suggestions!!)

"Make sure that core (abdominal muscles) are pulled in and good posture is maintained throughout the exercises. Keep shoulders rolled down and back, tuck chin in, pull in core, knees soft. For the squat down and up specifically, ensure that mommies keep their knees in line with toes, chest open and tall and core tightened to protect the lower back. You want their butt to sink back like they are sitting in a chair (or about 90 degree angle from the floor). Most people don't have the flexibility to do a squat safely and correctly and end up feeling it in their knees quite a bit or toppling over. Likewise for a lunge movement. Front leg forms a 90 degree angle toward the floor and the back leg forms a 90 degree angle toward the floor. Front knee never comes over the toe and the movement is straight up and down like an elevator--not back and forth like most people end up doing. Think about pushing off the front heel since a lunge is mostly about making changes to the front leg (i.e. glutes, hamstrings). Since most mommies have weak abdominal muscles and weak backs due to labor and child rearing I would say the core awareness would be beneficial for injury prevention and overall well-being."

PS - if I can get this routine on video, I'll try to post it eventually for the visual learners out there. Not sure if that'll happen anytime soon though...

to blog or not to blog?

One part of me is totally thrilled to blog…another part (just an eensy part though!) feels kinda guilty that I could be using this time to do something more productive, say, wash dishes or fold clothes (since blog time is almost always aka Biscuit’s naptime). So because I’m not the kind of person to enjoy a lot of guilt hanging around, I want to make this blog time as useful as I can. So I’ll set myself a few ground rules: no blogging while Biscuit is awake and active, wanting my attention. I’ll blog only during naps or when he’s drinking his bottle or playing happily by himself. And I won’t spend copious amounts of time at it - the thirty-minute rule applies. Also: I won’t put the blog before quiet time w/ God. Period.

Another way I can make this blog helpful is: use it as my new motivation to think of fun activities to do with Biscuit and share with all you toddler mommies and daddies out there. So my goal (at least while he's a toddler) is to offer free toddler ideas - money-saving tips, toddler games, fun places to take your toddler, indoor playtime activities for toddlers, parenting advice and my day-to-day adventures in motherhood. (If you’re like me you’re constantly looking for creative ways to spend time with your kids besides playing the usual hide-n-seek, blocks and peek-a-boo. We’ll try to think up some fun ideas of our own and pass them on after we try them out. They’ll probably be biased toward ideas for boys since that’s the way it is, but feel free to adapt as needed for your own playtimes :) Alrighty, without further adieu, here is today’s contribution:

The Tickle Truck in TP Town
We constructed a network of toilet paper highways around the house today and I showed Biscuit how to drive a small toy truck around “town.” At the end of a “road” it was fun to drive the truck onto bumpier terrain up and down Biscuit’s legs, arms, back and tummy–tickling all the way!
oh, and TP by the way, crumpled up, also makes great loads of dirt for toy dump trucks!

A week to remember :)

Well, it’s been something of a tough week with Big Biscuit in Mexico and Little Biscuit missing him on top of a nasty cold, so I wanted to write down some of the happier highlights to cheer us all up!

Okay, so here they are: the top 10 most memorable events of the past seven days around our
house:

10. In mid-preparation of applesauce meatloaf we realize we are out of eggs, necessitating a near- world-record-setting speed run to the store.

9. I decide to try out an unadjusted reel mower on our front yard during Biscuit’s naptime which
happens to be around noon (and yes, this is a Missouri summer).

8. Biscuit discovers the meaning of “slippery” while chasing the bar of soap around the bathtub.

7. Biscuit further discovers “slippery” as he goes headfirst down a slide for the first time.

6. Biscuit continues his new hobby of finding his belly button on command.

5. His next favorite hobby becomes looking for yours.

4. Biscuit gets the hiccups during lunch. Every time one hits (which is usually during a big, sloppy
bite of peas), he almost chokes laughing.

3. The homemade spicy sweet potato fries my sis tries to cook turn out to be, um, let’s say, very smoke-flavored sweet potato briquettes.

2. Biscuit jumps off his seat as an unexpected loud burp from his aunt scares him half to death; I’m not sure what was funnier - his initial shocked reaction or the 10 minutes of hysterical laughter (from both of them!) that followed.

1. Biscuit uses his newfound skill of pointing to acknowledge the cars beside us as we wait at a red light; unfortunately he only knows how to point with his middle finger.